The AEC’s #CathedralTreasures campaign for Advent and Christmas is based on the latest volume by Janet Gough, OBE, author, lecturer and advisor on historic churches and cathedrals, which tells the story of the treasures from 44 Church of England cathedrals and six cathedrals from the Church in Wales, each one chosen by the Dean or senior clergy of the cathedral featured. The adjacent Palace Gardens complete the visitor’s experience, with exploratory trails tracing the new planting of all the species found in the Chapter House. Inside, its remarkable CathedralTreasure – the early 13th century painted nave ceiling – runs from the east end to the crossing and is the largest medieval painted ceiling in Europe. UPDATE 11th January 2023 : We now have the 10 finalists and we’re calling on you to vote on your favourite so we can name Britain’s Favourite Cathedral Treasure. Vote here. You’ll be in with a chance of winning a copy of Deans’ Choice: Cathedral Treasures of England and Wales. This book is a testament to the work of generations of skilled craftspeople who have created and maintained the stonework, the wood carvings and the embroidery - including the kneelers stitched, mostly by women, at Guildford cathedral – that are so much a part of what we see in cathedrals today.

As some point he converted to the reformed Protestant Church of England and went on to become the most famous dean of St Pauls, with his sermons much admired and published. Equally extraordinary, his is the only statue to survive intact the destruction of St Paul's in the Great Fire of 1666. Set now into the south aisle wall of Sir Christopher Wren's later baroque cathedral, I shall never again just walk past. The cathedrals of England and Wales are remarkable buildings. From the centuries leading up to the Norman Conquest to the tumults of the Reformation and devastating wars of the twentieth century, they carry traces of our nations’ darkest moments and most brilliant endeavours.The stories of 50 remarkable artefacts, preserved by the cathedrals of the Church in Wales and the Church of England, feature in the book, called Deans’ Choice: Cathedral Treasures of England and Wales. Each treasure was chosen and described by the Dean, or senior clergy, of the cathedral featured and the book was compiled by Janet Gough, a Canon of Saint Deiniol’s Cathedral in Bangor. Fifty treasures. Fifty days. Welcome to our 2022 winter campaign showcasing the treasures and glories of Britain’s cathedrals, #CathedralTreasures. The campaign revels in this latest illustrated volume by Janet Gough, a lecturer and advisor on historic churches and cathedrals, which tells the story of the treasures from 44 Church of England cathedrals and six cathedrals from the Church in Wales – each one chosen by the Dean or senior clergy of the cathedral featured. You can buy the book here. The 50 treasures also bear witness to centuries of Christianity and cathedrals as places of worship glorified by artistic expression – here in rood screens, crosses and liturgical items. These local and national treasures are a vital part of our heritage, testifying to the powerful and enduring links between cathedrals and the wider communities of which they are part.

I am fascinated by the choice of the dean of St Paul’s, London - the memorial to John Donne (1572-1631) wrapped in a sheet and standing on a funerary urn, was sculpted by prominent sculptor, Nicholas Stone. Commissioned by Donne himself, it is a monument to the man I knew as one of the pre-eminent metaphysical poets, who enjoyed a racy youth, was a soldier, a sometime MP and most extraordinary Catholic.Could the splendid octagonal Chapter House reflect nearby Sherwood Forest, where the natural world bursts with vitality? How do the ‘Leaves’ speak to us, seven centuries later, of harmony and fragility in God’s creation, providing insight as we counter climate emergency? The competition to find Britain’s favourite treasure from our winter campaign, #CathedralTreasures has now closed, the votes have been counted, and the winners are in! Cathedral Treasures – The Results

This beautifully illustrated new volume tells the stories behind 50 artefacts from the cathedrals of England and Wales. The Dean of St Davids, Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, says, “Wales is richly blessed with an abundance of treasures in its churches and particularly in its cathedrals. Many have been cherished and preserved over centuries by past generations, and have become part of our sense of culture and identity. Often, the building itself which is the treasure. Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett (Penguin, 1989) – a gripping novel on the building of a cathedral in the aftermath of the 1130s English Civil War The naturalistically carved ‘Leaves of Southwell’, dating from the 1290s, can be found decorating the Chapter House at Southwell Minster in rural Nottinghamshire. Not only are they beautiful, but there’s evidence they have real appeal for a modern audience. In a recent competition run by The Association of English Cathedrals, seeking the 10 most admired cathedral treasures out of a choice of 50 drawn from my book Deans' Choice: Cathedral Treasures of England and Wales,4,477 votes out of 5,000 were cast for ‘The Leaves of Southwell’. Chelmsford Cathedral The Tree Of Life, Mark Cazalet, 2003-4, detail from painting showing the redeemed Judus.We are blessed with an abundance of treasures in our cathedrals. These are a vital part of our heritage and an integral part of our culture, our social history and our identity. In their diversity ultimately each of them is a symbol of what our Cathedrals stand for, to proclaim the glory of God and God’s love for all creation. While Rossetti chose as his subject the Nativity of Christ, the title emphasises Christ’s descent from David, who appears on both wings of the triptych: on the left as a shepherd boy and, on the right, as a king.